title: All-trans-retinoic acid metabolites significantly inhibit the proliferation of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in vitro.
abstract: All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) is well known to inhibit the proliferation of human breast cancer cells. Much less is known about the antiproliferative activity of the naturally occurring metabolites and isomers of ATRA. In the present study, we investigated the antiproliferative activity of ATRA, its physiological catabolites 4-oxo-ATRA and 5,6-epoxy-ATRA and isomers 9-cis-RA and 13-cis-RA in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. MCF-7 cells were grown in steroid- and retinoid-free medium supplemented with growth factors. Under these culture conditions, ATRA and its naturally occurring catabolites and isomers showed significant antiproliferative activity in MCF-7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner (10[-11] M to 10[-6] M). The antiproliferative activity of ATRA catabolites and isomers was equal to that of the parent compound ATRA at concentrations of 10(-8) M and 10(-7) M. Only at 10(-6) M were the catabolites and the stereoisomer 13-cis-RA less potent. The stereoisomer 9-cis-RA was as potent as ATRA at all concentrations tested (10[-11] M to 10[-6] M). In addition, we show that the catabolites and isomers were formed from ATRA to only a limited extent. Together, our findings suggest that in spite of their high antiproliferative activity the catabolites and isomers of ATRA cannot be responsible for the observed growth inhibition induced by ATRA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Cell Biology & Genetics, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van heusden
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wouters
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Ramaekers
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Krekels
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dillen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borgers
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Smets
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012176:Retinoids / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D012176:Retinoids; D014212:Tretinoin